Category: Christendom


Identity

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Christendom, Church Life, Jesus is Lord, Spiritual Life by rossrohde — 3 Comments
January 26, 2012

Does the collar and the pipe make him more credible?

I personally know a lot of clergy and ex-clergy. If you include missionaries in that category, which I do, I know a whole boatload more. I lived and breathed in that world for over 25 years. One of the tendencies I’ve noted among those of us who are, or were, in the clergy is the propensity for getting our personal identity from our title or position. This often ends up causing spiritual and emotional problems for us.

There is a particularly dangerous perk when one is a member of the titled clergy. It is the perk of unearned reverence or respect.  Usually one is introduced as, “This is Pastor So and So.” Or, “this is What’s Her Name, she’s a missionary.” Of course the not so subtle subtext on this introduction is, “so treat with reverence and respect their opinion on all things religious.” In some circles the clergy even have special uniforms so that people will know who they are, otherwise their opinions might be treated as average and mundane.

In my particular case, when I was ordained[1], I had a special friend who addressed all my letters to Rev. Ross Rohde. This was 30 years ago when letters actually existed. I was actually introduced to people as Rev…you get the picture. Have you ever stopped to think how ridiculous the title Reverend is? Literally it means this is a person to be revered.

Revere: to show devoted deferential honor to: regard as worthy of great honor.[2]

Should we have a special class of people who are treated deferentially? I’ll let Paul answer that question. On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. (I Cor. 12: 22-25)

It should come as no surprise that being treated reverentially can go to our heads. For a few it is an intense adrenaline rush. For most, it is an unnoticed, unconscious, tacit problem that still deeply and negatively touches our ego. Those of us placed in this revered category, whether we like it or not, end up subconsciously playing the role. We are quick in any religious discussion to share our opinions. We are all too prone to dominate the agenda. We feel that others should respect our experience and position. Let’s face it, its fun to be a big shot, or at least the biggest guppy in the mud puddle. If we become aware of our ego issue, we try to hold our tongue, to sit on our hands…but it’s tough, real tough.

But here’s the even more devastating problem I’ve noticed. What happens when one is no longer a member of the clergy? What happens when your identity has been stripped away? What happens when the people who were calling you Reverend, fire you? What happens when the Reverend has to become an insurance agent to survive? That can be an incredible blow to one’s identity. The clergy are just as much victims of the clergy/laity system as are the laity. Both end up getting wounded by it.

Here’s the truth, whether we like it or not, a godly plumber is no less holy than a godly bishop. Popes or pastors have no more or less access to God than we do. God’s calling to be a waiter at the coffee shop is every bit as sacred as being called to the dangerous streets of Mogadishu. It might even be more strategic for the Kingdom. My cousin is called to be a cheese maker. I don’t doubt that calling in his life, nor does it make me, a twenty-five year veteran of overseas missions, any holier than he is. We both love Jesus and are obeying our calling from our Lord. Isn’t that enough?

The issue isn’t one class of people being more holy than another. It isn’t a matter of one calling being more special than another. The issue is obedience to the calling Jesus has called us to? Are we continuing to become the people he wants us to be? Let’s not get our identity from making cheese or being a denominational executive. Let’s just be identified by who lives in our hearts and minds.

  • Are all callings life time callings? Can God call someone to be in full time ministry; then have what some would consider a menial job? Are they less of the person they always were?
  • Where do you think this division of status came from? I can assure you it doesn’t come from the New Testament.
  • Is there still room for special respect for those who have demonstrated godly maturity and wisdom? Is an auto mechanic or a full time mother any more or less likely to be spiritually mature and wise than a full time minister? Can’t being a full time mechanic or mother be full time ministry?
  • Have you ever known non-clergy who were deeply spiritual and wise? Have you ever known people in professional ministry who shamed the name of Jesus with their behavior?

[1] I don’t believe in ordination any more since it has no support biblically. But, like everyone else, I was fitting into the system I knew.

[2] Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revere .

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Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus, Is it Possible?

Filed Under: Christendom, Church History, Recommended Books, The Viral Jesus Book, Worldview by rossrohde — 4 Comments
January 21, 2012

The video, Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus, has touched a deep chord or a raw nerve in many people. In the last eleven days it had been watched on YouTube 15,839,759 times (as of Jan. 21, 9:10 AM, Pacific Time). That’s over a million times a day! Not surprisingly it has made some people angry, but to the vast majority, particularly the young, it is speaking what has been on their hearts but they could not, would not, or feared to say. Here is the video for the three of you out there who have not already seen it ;) .

Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus:

What has surprised me is the frustrated, angry or negative response. Here is one of the most creative and eloquent.

Why I Love Religion and Love Jesus:

So what is going on here? Is religion good or bad? It’s not that simple. Part of the problem is a confusion of terms and worldviews, which Mike Morrell does a good job of clarifying in Jesus and Religion’s Relationship Status: It’s Complicated.

So let’s define terms roughly as Jeff Bethke (the author of Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus) is defining it.

Jesus = A loving intimate God who we can know and experience personally. This Jesus is revealed in the Bible.

Religion = All the extra bits that have encrusted themselves around Jesus over the years; the extra-biblical traditions of men.

Is this even important? I believe it is extremely important. The fact that this video is getting a million hits a day ought to tell us something. This has touched a deep chord in our society. I believe it is religion, as defined above, which is keeping the Gospel of Jesus from going viral. That is why I wrote my book, Viral Jesus.

  • If we define religion, as it is defined above, why would anybody want to defend it?
  • Do you believe religion can get in the way of the Gospel?
  • After watching Bethke’s video, are you more into Jesus or religion? Be honest with yourself. Even if you are closer to the “Jesus” side of the equation, did he poke some of your sacred cows?
  • Do you think it is possible that American Evangelicals could be as religious as Catholics, just having a different set of “extra bits?”
  • Do you believe Fr. Pontifex in Why I Love Religion and Love Jesus was wrong (or right) 100% of the time? Is it possible to have a real relationship with Jesus in the midst of a lot of religion? Did you find that you agreed with some of what Fr. Pontifex said? Did that surprise you?
  • Does criticizing religion play into atheism’s hand, as Fr. Pontifex states?
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Vocabulary Confusion

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Christendom, Jesus is Lord, Viral Christianity, Worldview by rossrohde — Leave a comment
January 20, 2012

Influence flows from what is inside of us.

When we use one word, but give it the meaning of another, confusion can ensue. I think there is a lot of confusion nowadays in the Church by the way we confuse and abuse three words: authority, influence and power. So, I’d like to give what I believe are good definitions of these word and show how the misuse of these words leads not only to confusion but often, harm.

Authority

Parker J. Palmer in his book The Courage to Teach talks about the authority of a teacher.

External tools of power have occasional utility in teaching, but they are no substitute for authority, the authority that comes from the teacher’s inner life. The clue is in the word itself, which has author at its core. Authority is granted to people who are perceived as authoring their own words, their own actions, their own lives, rather than playing a scripted role at great remove from their own hearts. When teachers depend on the coercive powers of law or technique, they have no authority at all. [1]

For more on this read Authority: How Jesus Leads a Church.

I think this is an excellent understanding of authority. Authority is what flows out of one’s character, one’s experience, one’s life, which gives us the ability to impact others. It reflects who we are. It has nothing to do with position, title or power. Nor can it be invoked. We either have authority or we don’t, and that depends on who we are.

Influence

Influence is a gift. It is a gift from the person being influenced and it is a gift from God. We cannot force someone to be influenced by us. Either they trust and respect us enough to influence them or they don’t. It is their call. And, it is a gift from God. God gives us the ability and the favor to influence others. Still, it is not anything we have control over; it must be given. Influence, then, is the trust, respect and honor others give us which allows us to impact their lives. Influence is when what is inside of us flows out to impact others. Influence and authority are deeply related.

Power

Power comes from the ability to reward or punish others, thereby impacting what they do. Power comes from force, position or title. It may be accompanied by authority and influence but needs neither. It can be wielded gently or harshly, but it is based on reward and punishment, not necessarily the desire or will of others. Human power has no place in Christianity but is exceedingly common in Christendom. Power is the ability to control others behavior through reward and punishment. At its core, human power is fear based and coercive. Power is not related to authority and influence. It is a separate entity. One cannot have influence without authority. Power can stand on its own, but when it does so, it is destructive.

I’m willing to bet each and every person reading this blog has had an experience, at one time or another, with the following scenario. Someone, perhaps the “leader” states, “You must submit to the authority of ______________.” As in, “I’m the pastor, you must submit to my authority.” That isn’t authority, its power. We don’t submit to authority, we respond to it. Power needs and demands submission. Authority and influence neither need submission nor demand it. There is no place for that in biblical Christianity, yet we see it all the time in Christendom.

Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. (Luke 22:25-26).

I suspect that Jesus was being ironic here. I believe he is using the word “authority” but describing power; in other words mocking and denigrating the power I have describe above. What do kings and lords have? They have titles, positions and power. They can reward and they can punish. They demand submission. We aren’t even supposed to say we are doing so for the good of others. After all, Jesus noted they “call themselves Benefactors.” We are not to be like that. Instead we influence others based on the authority, love and service that comes from our lives. To do so requires no title, position or power. We can do it coming from the position of a little child or a slave. Yet even a slave can have the influence and authority of character and experience.

We have no control over the authority and influence we have, other than being godly people who serve others with a whole heart. Still, we can have great authority and influence. Human power, a common element of Christendom’s behavior, should have no place among us. It is destructive. It is not our job to reward or punish, that belongs to God.

  • Why do you think the wielding of human power is so common in Christendom?
  • What happens when we see a brother/sister in sin, when we know what he/she should be doing? Isn’t that a time to use power?
  • How can we gain more authority and influence? Is it something we should seek?
  • If we have real influence and authority, do we have to be careful how we use it?

[1] Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1998) p. 33.

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Success

Filed Under: Christendom, Spiritual Life, Worldview by rossrohde — 1 Comment
January 9, 2012

What do you think is the key to success?

Below are all the verses in the New Testament which mention the word “success.”

No, that is not a typo, I’m making a point. The New Testament does not even mention a common Christian obsession, successful ministry. Yet, in my 40 years as a Christian and with about 30 years of “professional” ministry under my belt, I can tell you that success is a pretty hot topic in ministry circles. We talk about people who have had “successful ministries.” We admire “successful ministries.” We buy books which may give us three or five or even THE one key to success. We long to have a “successful ministry.”

So, what are we talking about? Stop and think about it, what are we really talking about? In other words, how do we really measure success, what are its metrics?

I would submit that the underlying driving logic of those seeking success is really the admiration of others.   When we talk of successful ministries are we not most often really talking about ministries that impress other people? And how do ministries become admired by other people? They usually have big, measureable numbers of people involved. They often have a lot of flash and hype associated with them. Are not many of those seeking a successful ministry really not just seeking the approval and attention of others?

Jesus told us to bear fruit. He told us that the way to bear fruit was to abide in him. He never told us to use a marketing campaign. He never even suggested or modeled the 1st Century Palestinian equivalent. Jesus wasn’t afraid to do public ministry. But he was quite prone to making unpopular statements which made him look much less successful. Jesus was much more likely to go off and pray by himself than he was to try to impress anyone or look for a bigger crowd. At one point he made such an unpopular statement that many of his disciples left him.

A story and two questions

When I was a missionary in Guatemala I heard about a missionary who had left years before I got there. His entire career was devoted to discipling five Guatemalan men. When he left Guatemala that was all he had accomplished, training five young Guatemalan men how to follow Jesus. I’ll bet he had a tough time writing prayer letters. Was he successful? What if I told you that all five of those men became very effective godly leaders? A number of them went on to plant whole denominations whose growth came from conversions, not just transfers from other churches. Now what do you think?

What was Jesus most successful moment? How did he gain his success?

  • Is fruitful ministry the same as success? How do we measure fruit? Is it always obvious to others?
  • Agee or disagree: Aiming for success is aiming for the wrong thing. If not success, what should we seek?
  • Why do you think we talk about success so much in ministry circles?
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Professionalism Must Die

Filed Under: Christendom, Church Life, Jesus is Lord, Meeting Together, Organic Church by rossrohde — 10 Comments
January 3, 2012

Setting aside the clergy role is hard.

This morning one of my friends and I were talking on the phone about a project he is involved in. He and his friends are intentionally trying to develop a missional community. One of the participants is a part of the professional clergy. In discussing the vision of the community my friend and I ended up discussing the difficulty those in the “professional clergy” or those of us who are “ex-professionals” have in stepping out of the professional role.

Organic ministry is whole-life ministry. It is not something you do as much as someone you are. It is not a job you do, as much as a life you live. It is not a role we play as much an adventure we live. And, our relationship with those on the journey with us is not defined by positions and job responsibilities, they are just our friends in same community and on the same ministry adventure with us. For those who are steeped in professional ministry this can be a hard transition to make.

The Clergy Role

First, it is difficult to step out of the role of clergy. When you have been “the clergy” it becomes part of your identity. One just assumes that they will play a leadership role. Let’s be honest, we enjoy being the big shot. We like being the one with all the answers. Being quiet and allowing others to express what Jesus has put on their hearts is hard. We find ourselves filling in all silent spaces with our ideas. We find ourselves taking charge…even when we are diligently trying not to do so.

Worse yet, those who have not been professional clergy, but are accustomed to the system, have been trained to look to the professionals for the answers. They are used to some being leaders and some being followers. It becomes easy to allow others to take the lead and therefore the risk of being wrong or making mistakes. This leads to an unintentional passivity which must be overcome if someone is going to actually be part of an organic missional community.

Knowing but Not Really Knowing

I can only speak from the position of being ex-clergy. My own experience, and the information I’ve gained from other friends who are ex-clergy in an organic ministry setting tells me that we have a problem of knowing about the problem but not really knowing the problem. Let me explain. We know intellectually we need to be quiet so others can speak. We know in our heads that if we talk too much or dominate the conversation we will stifle the Spirit in others. We know that, but we do it anyway. We know with our heads but it really hasn’t filtered down into our hearts yet, so it isn’t part of our unconscious behavior. Therefore, the problem keeps coming up. Let me restate that differently; we keep becoming a problem. And, we end up beating ourselves up about it.

There is a flip side to this issue as well. Most people currently involved in organic ministry are ex-lay people. That is to say they have learned to let the clergy do the work. They too, if they come to understand organic ministry, realize that they should participate more, but they are so used to being passive that they struggle to not just be bumps on a log. They wait for someone else to “take over.” This doesn’t help the missional community, the ex-clergy or the Kingdom. We all need each other. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” (I Cor. 12:21). In fact, one of the great weaknesses I’ve seen in those new to organic ministry is that they look for some great leader who will produce spectacular results so they can join in and bask in the glow of successful ministry. In other words, they are waiting for a “great leader” to come along so they can be a part of a great ministry. Consequently, when things aren’t spectacular, or don’t produce exciting fruit soon enough, they are off looking for the next cool thing. This is just another expression of being a passive person waiting for a human leader to take over. It is a result of our clergy/laity system.

Suggestions

So, what do we do about this? I have three suggestions. First, everyone needs to participate. There is no room for big leaders and there is no room for the passive in organic ministry. We all play a part and we are all equally important. Second, give yourselves some space. Most of us have the “system” baked into our bones. It is going to take awhile to unlearn what we have learned. Gently and graciously help each other be less passive or less in charge, whichever the problem might be. And remember we can understand with our heads long before it filters down to our heart. Be patient and gentle with each other. Finally, remember in organic ministry there is only one leader; his name is Jesus (for more on this see: Authority: How Jesus Leads a Church).We are all part of the body but Jesus is the head. Learn to follow him and only him and a lot of these problems will slowly go away.

  • Have you noticed the problem of ex-clergy taking over and ex-lay people being passive? What are you doing about it?
  • Have you ever noticed that we can “know about the problem” but not really know about the problem? That is to say we can understand the problem intellectually but still struggle with it?
  • If Jesus is going to lead, what skills will we need to develop to learn to follow him?
  • Who do you think has the harder time learning to be part of the body, the ex-clergy or the ex-lay person?
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Early Christian Behavior

Filed Under: Christendom, Church History, Evangelism, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life, The Viral Jesus Book by rossrohde — 7 Comments
November 17, 2011

Fresco from 2 centuries after Mathetes.

How did the early Christians interact with the world around them? We have the book of Acts, which gives us a brief history from Luke’s perspective but beyond that do we have any record of how they viewed their world and how they interacted with it? Actually we do. There is a brief letter called The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus which many scholars believe was written about 130 AD.[1] This is actually a rather brief letter, the entirety of which you can read here. In it a Christian named Mathetes tries to describe who Christians are and how they live to a non-Christian friend named Diognetus. Of particular interest to me is a sentence in Chapter V which I believe shows the Early Churches aversion to Greek philosophy.

The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. I’d like to make a number of observations about this quote which I believe can help us understand how our early brothers thought and how therefore they can be of service to us to get us back on track to what the Church was originally designed to be.

Observation 1: Mathetes is focused on conduct, not speculative thinking. To the early Christians how we lived was much more important that doctrinal speculation. How we lived showed who we were. This was not done by merely reciting doctrinal statements.

Observation 2: Mathetes is responding to the Greek world around him and contrasting Christianity from it. The Greek world around him, at that time, was fascinated with philosophical speculation. Of particular interest was Platonic thought which placed much emphasis on concepts and ideas (called ideals) and placed little or no importance on how we live.

Observation 3: Mathetes is concerned more specifically with following “speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men” and “mere human doctrines.” He is taking a swipe at the humanism of the day, the idea that men can figure things out and determine what truth is. Mathetes’ world was humanistic and so is ours. In fact, the humanism of our day is based philosophically on the humanistic philosophy of Mathetes’ day.

In Diognetus’ world people were obsessed with their own ideas and interpretations. They lived in a world of ideas and doctrine, not the world of life defined by concrete action. Christians of Mathetes’ world were different. They, in essence, said, look at how we live then you will know who we are.

Modern day Christianity has more in common with Diognetus’ world than it does with Mathetes’ world. We argue about doctrine, which, let’s face it, is the speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men.” Many have become “advocates” of “merely human doctrines.” Some are followers of Luther, others are followers of John Calvin, some are Pentecostals while others hold to the doctrine of cessationism. Some hold firmly to Postmillenialism while others are willing to stake their lives on a pre-tribulation rapture. We are behaving exactly like the realities that the early Christians such as Mathetes spoke against. I will discuss these issues more in my upcoming book Viral Jesus: Recovering the Contagious Power of the Gospel, which will be available for purchase on this blog Feb. 7, 2012.

Am I against doctrine? No. Am I against getting wrapped up in arguments about doctrinal ideas rather than living a Spirit controlled life? Absolutely. Our faith should be most easily be defined not by details of our doctrine but by the unique beauty of our lives…which will show what we believe, which, if necessary, could be written down as doctrines. There is a significant difference between those two views; one is deep experiential spirituality, the other is mere Christian humanism. Many people nowadays long for deep experiential spirituality. Almost nobody is searching for Christian humanism. Mathetes understood this, so he chose the first option in Chapter V of his letter, which he called displaying a “wonderful and confessedly striking method of life.” You can read Chapter V in its entirety following the questions.

  • Do you think the average Christian today lives a wonderful and confessedly striking method of life? Why or why not?
  • Is Christian behavior today so markedly different that it shows up statistically such as in divorce rates?
  • In some ways Mathetes said the Christians were just like those around them, in other ways they were markedly different. How would you characterize the ways they were the same and the ways they were different (see below)?
  • How do Christians today try to distinguish themselves from non-Christians?

CHAPTER V — THE MANNERS OF THE CHRISTIANS.

For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.

[1] This is probably an accurate dating. Another theory is that it was written in the early 3rd century. But that seems to be based on evidence from the last two chapters who most believe was a later addition from Hippolytus of Rome.

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Fixing vs. Loving

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Church History, Evangelism, Spiritual Life, Worldview by rossrohde — 10 Comments
November 2, 2011

Fixing isn't as helpful as loving.

In my last post, Deep Presence, I talked about an experience our simple church had with God in a café patio. What I didn’t mention was that at the same time there was a gay and lesbian group meeting on the patio. In essence they were having the functional equivalent of simple church but focused on gay/lesbian issues. I’m not saying they were looking for God; I have no idea one way or the other. I mean they were meeting together in community to have a meeting that was more than the sum total of its parts.

My friend Lyle (a member of our simple church) and I have discussed on and off what it would look like if our group became more proactive in ministry. What would it look like for our particular group to follow God into ministering to the community around us? In reflecting on this question, I came back to the gay and lesbian group. Here are some observations I’d like to note. It looked like this was a regularly scheduled group. Further, it seems like we took ‘their spot.’ They didn’t say anything, nor did they get huffy, it was just noticeable by some glances. Instead, they very graciously just sat in another location and had a happy, animated conversation. Our group was very ‘evangelical.’ Like it or not, I’m sure they could ‘smell’ our evangelicalism a mile away.

Now, what would it take to minister to that group? Stop for a minute and really think about that question. I asked you to stop because I’m sure most of our first reactions would have created serious problems but done little good toward moving the members of that group toward Jesus. Think about this passage:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

I didn’t bring up that passage to note that homosexuals were wicked and won’t inherit the kingdom of God (as it is commonly used in evangelicalism). Nor to note that homosexuality is no less wicked than greed, which homosexuals often bring up with Christians. I brought it up for these two sentences: And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The early Church was filled with ex-homosexuals (and ex-greedy people). The Greek world of that time had a much greater population of homosexuals than does our culture. Yet somehow the Christians found a way to minister Jesus to them to the point that they were washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Further, they felt loved and welcomed among the Christians. Do you think those of us who are current Western evangelicals could pull that off? Did you ever wonder why for the Early Church this was normative and for our expression of Christianity it is as rare as hen’s teeth?

Let’s go back to our church meeting on a café patio next to a gay/lesbian group. What would we have needed to do to minister to them? Let me posit this. Our whole ‘way of being’ would have to focus on loving them and not fixing them. Do you like it when people you don’t know or trust try to fix you? Do you like it when people you do know and trust try to fix you? I’ll bet your answer is no to both questions. Here’s another question. Do you think Jesus’ golden rule applies? You know, the one where he says “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

So how could we have loved them (or love them the next time)? We could have noticed that this was their spot and graciously relinquished it to them. We could have made kind eye contact with them. We could have smiled. We could have asked them if we could get anything for them as we were going to get a refill on our coffee. We could have just focused on looking out for their good…loving them. No fixing. No agenda other than love.

What would God have done, or could God do, with that? I don’t know. But I do know that it is Christian; truly, deeply Christian. It is based on Jesus’ value system of loving others and considering them as more important than ourselves. It is based on inclusive love, not based on merit but grace. It is based on not judging others. And it is based on humility knowing that I’m not really any better than anyone…anyone, else. But I’m in the process of being washed, sanctified and justified. That’s not my doing, its God’s. I’d like to share that with others, but only from a platform of love; not with a wrench in my pocket.

  • Have you ever had someone try to ‘fix’ you? How did you like that? Did it feel more like love or judgment?
  • Are there other types of people, besides gays and lesbians, our Christendom has separated us from?
  • Have you ever approached others with a wrench in your pocket? How’d that go?
  • How did we get to the point where the name “Christian” is more likely to illicit fear of being judged than a strong reputation for loving others?
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Tough Situations

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Church History, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life by rossrohde — Leave a comment
October 21, 2011

This is an actual FARC guerrilla. My friend saw something like this.

A friend of mine was a missionary in Colombia about 25 years ago during some of the worst violence there. One day his bus was stopped by FARC guerrillas. Everyone was forced off the bus at gunpoint. Since he was a gringo, they immediately wanted to know what he was doing in Colombia and why he was in this rural area. He told them he was a missionary trying to help the people. They immediately stuck a gun in his face and proclaimed their hatred of American missionaries. In the past, FARC had kidnapped and martyred American missionaries, so this was no joke. “Are you really a Christian? Because if you are, we are going to blow the back of your head off.” He was being asked to stick up for his faith by his actions, in a life or death situation.

What would you do in that situation? We all have fantasies of heroically sticking up for our faith. But every day we are given the same test. How are we doing? What test am I talking about? I’m talking about the test that Jesus told us about in Matt. 25:31-46. In this famous parable of the sheep and the goats the difference between sheep, who went to heaven, and goats, who went to hell, was what they did; specifically for “the least of these.” Jesus said we would be judged by our works.

“Wait, you are talking about works salvation.” I can hear your thinking from here. “Haven’t you ever read Eph. 2: 8-9?” [1] Yes, I have. I love that passage. And I have read it in the context of Eph. 2:10 as well. Here’s Eph 2: 1-10 for further context, if you would like. I am talking about salvation by grace, which can be verified by the life we live; the way we act.

That is exactly what Jesus was talking about in the parable of the sheep and the goats. True faith, true belief, will play itself out in the way we live. It will particularly play itself out in the way we treat those who are at the bottom of the pile, what sociologists call the disenfranchised. Agreeing with or even proclaiming correct doctrine won’t get you to heaven. It will just show you know some facts about biblical doctrine. Real faith can be spoken about, but it is lived day by day; not merely talked about. Here is a similar situation that the early Christians experienced in the 2nd Century.[2]

Would you get the card?

So let’s replay my friend’s scenario in Colombia and the same type of scenario that Jesus gave us in the parable of the sheep and the goats. America is taken over by an anti-Christian government. You are pulled before a judge. He says that he has heard rumors that you previously talked about being a Christian. Are you a Christian or not? He will send out the FBI to check not only on what you have said but how you have actually lived out your beliefs. If it is just talk and church attendance you will receive a “get out of jail free card.” On the other hand, if the FBI can track down instances of you actually living your faith by helping others, particularly the weak, in the name of Jesus, and if this is consistent behavior; he is going to throw you in jail and throw away the key. Would you get the get out of jail free card or not?

Don’t complain to me if these parameters seem unfair. You are going to need to talk to Jesus about it. Perhaps you should.

  • Why do you think Jesus set the parameters by what we do instead of what doctrine we agree with?
  • If you ever had a fantasy about being brave under persecution did you ever think you are in the same situation every day?
  • Do you really think these kinds of things can’t ever happen in the West?
  • If you were in the situation the early Christians faced before Pliny the Younger, would you offer a prayer with incense and wine to Trajan’s image and curse Christ? Does your day to day behavior reflect your answer?
[1] Believe me, I’ve had this conversation before and the response is almost always the same from American Evangelicals.

[2] I develop this story of Pliny the Younger and the Emperor Trajan further in my upcoming book Viral Jesus which comes out Feb. 2, 2012. You will be able to buy it here from the blog.

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Testimony of a Religious Junky

Filed Under: Christendom, Jesus is Lord, Meeting Together, Spiritual Life, Viral Christianity by rossrohde — 4 Comments
October 3, 2011

This religious junk really pulls you down until you find yourself in really bad places.

My name is Ross. I am religious. I took my last shot of religion two weeks ago, but have been sober since. I want to tell you my story, and I’ll try to be as honest as possible. I took my first shot of religion when I was 16 years old. I got my first dose from my sister. Then for almost a year and a half afterwards I didn’t have much access to religion. My sister was away at college and had given me my first fix (along with a beautiful encounter with Jesus). I was on my own. I didn’t know where to get my next fix. So at that stage mostly I had Jesus and an old Bible, and that little bit of Evangelical religion my sister gave me.

All of that changed when I went to college. The first week I was there I was introduced to some people who had a serious religious habit. They introduced me to some heavy stuff. Within weeks I was seriously hooked. I learned that I had to have “quit times,” were I read the Bible every day out of religious duty or God would not be pleased with me.

I was trained to believe that my form of Evangelical religion was a better, purer brand of religion than the dangerous smack like Roman Catholic, Pentecostal and Main Line Protestant. These people were seriously addicted to religion, and their religion was bad. We, on the other hand, knew how to handle our religion. In fact, we were in denial, which is one of the first signs of addiction. We honestly didn’t think we were actually religious at all because we were using the pure stuff, with no dangerous additives.

These religious junkies introduced me to religious prayer. Prayer was a duty. There were only four types of prayer that were really acceptable. We could remember these acceptable religious prayer forms through the acronym ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Any other form of prayer was a dangerous adulteration to the pure stuff. There were dangerous religious additives I was told to avoid, when having a good snort of pure religious prayer; Pentecostal/Charismatic speaking in tongues, for example, was pure poison! Any other form of prayer was probably some Roman Catholic mystical gobbledygook that was not only dangerous but silly. It was always best to stick to the pure high grade stuff.

My fellow religious addicts told me I had to go to church every week because that was where I could score a better grade of religion. Since I was already hooked, I did as I was told, and frankly I wanted my next fix. These church meetings were where one could get some heavy stuff. The main dose there was the religious church service. This was a heady cocktail of religion that included pews, pulpits, powerful titled leaders called pastors, some elders, deacons, a set religious patterns called the order of service, some mindless singing and Sunday School. There were many other religious ingredients in this cocktail, but I think most of you are probably religious addicts too. Hopefully you are on the road to recovery. But recovering religious addict or not, you know exactly what a religious church service feels like.

My habit got so serious that the church service cocktail was no longer satisfying. I wanted to score some real heavy stuff. I was told that the really good stuff was reserved for the clergy and missionaries. And, in order to be clergy, I had to go to a Bible college and then seminary. These were places where I could indulge my religious habit without limits. I went to a Bible college and learned every religious form known to Evangelicalism. I was now not only scoring my religion, I was shooting it straight into my veins.  What a rush it gave me. When I was doing religion I thought I was really pleasing God. I was on a serious high that made me feel superior to all those foolish non-Christians and even the bad Christians who didn’t “do” the right brand of religion.

But soon the high wore thin. I needed an even heavier fix. Where could I get it? I was told the only way to really get a religious rush, at my level of addiction, was to become a pusher. I could sell my brand of religion as a missionary, I would be paid to indulge my habit and I could get some really high grade religion for free in the process.

I found a truly religious mission organization that was into some heavy smack. They did their Evangelical religion by using business methods. When a religious junky is on the business method high, he nearly goes crazy thinking that by using business methods the junky can actually control God’s agenda or at least do God a series of big favors. The stuff made our heads so muddled that we actually thought God liked us to do this junk. When you are doing it, it feels so good. It made us feel so superior. But for a serious junky like me, that high can only last for so long.

Then a strange thing happened. Even the best religion wasn’t satisfying me anymore. It all began to feel hollow. I’d do all the religious stuff, quite times, dutiful religious prayers, going to church services, selling my religion to others, even being up the religious distribution chain by being the boss of other religious missionaries; but I couldn’t get high any more.

One day I found myself talking to Jesus once again. It had been so long since I had actually connected with him and not just some religious form or duty. I just told Jesus I loved him. With all that heavy religion I was doing, it had actually been a long time since I had told Him that from the heart. Soon I found that I wanted to seek just Him without the religious trappings of Evangelical religion. The more I sought Him, and not religion, the more satisfying my encounters with Him became.

He opened my eyes and showed me that he never wanted all this religion in the first place. He took me back to the Bible. I read it, not out of duty, but with a passionate desire to find Him in the pages. I began to realize that as I read His Spirit was actually opening my eyes and speaking to me.

This is what he showed me. He never designed Christianity to be a religion. The more religion we humans add, the farther it actually drives us from God. Jesus just wants us and He wants us to have him. The religion gets in the way of the relationship.

That was sixteen years ago. My journey out of religion has been a long and hard one. Every time I think I’ve finally kicked the habit, the Holy Spirit shows me another claw religion has on my soul. But, the more I put aside my religious habits, the more I encounter Jesus. Now I have a new community of fellow recovering religionists. We are helping each other find and stay focused on Jesus. It is beautiful, simple and deeply spiritual.

That’s my story. If you are religious, I hope you can find a group of fellow religious junkies who are on the path to recovery. But, most importantly, recovery will never happen unless you seek Jesus, only Jesus, nothing more than Jesus. He is the only source of power that is capable of shaking the monkey off our backs. And the more you follow Him, the more your faith will become deep, intimate and personal. And, coincidently the more it will look like the early followers of Jesus we read about in the Bible. They were focused on Jesus, not religion.

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Ownership

Filed Under: Christendom, Church Life, Church Planting, Discipleship, Jesus is Lord, Organic Church, Spiritual Life by rossrohde — 8 Comments
September 30, 2011

If we follow men we end up being controlled by them. Follow Christ.

We can own a car, or a house or a piece of land. What we can’t own, outside of slavery, is people. Yet, if we look at the behavior of much of Christianity nowadays, one would think that owning people is part and parcel of how Christianity works.

Let me explain ownership. When we own something, it is under our control. No one else dare use it unless they have our permission. This applies to cars and houses as well as people. So when we treat other Christians as if they are under our control (usually we use the euphemism “leadership”) we are acting as if we own them. We even usually end up thoughtlessly using the vocabulary of slavery; he’s under our authority, she’s one of ours, they belong to X (usually a name of a church, ministry or leader).

This idea of ownership is actually quite common in the church today. I’ve noticed it in my own ministry when I, as an organic church practitioner, end up beginning to do ministry with someone who is already a part of a traditional church. Let me give you three examples.

1.) If I win someone to Christ, and they are introduced by their friends to a traditional church, it is almost inevitable that they will sooner or later be told that they now “belong” to this church and should therefore only attend their services and be “under the leadership” of their pastor. In my entire organic ministry, I’ve never once told someone that they shouldn’t attend a traditional church. Why, because I don’t own the person who has come to Christ. They belong to Jesus. I was just His instrument to introduce a person to Him. But, I’ve watched time after time as new disciples become church attendees instead of disciples of Christ. Inevitably they no longer do organic ministry or frankly much ministry at all.

2.) If I end up in contact with someone who is interested in organic ministry, who asks me to teach them how to plant organic churches[1], yet they are part of a traditional church, I pretty much know what is going to happen. I will begin to disciples them. I will tell them that I have no power over them but they are to only follow Christ. They will begin to grow. After that they will tell someone in their traditional church what they are doing. Next, they will be told something like “organic church is bad or questionable” and “you belong to this church.” And, as this logic continues, since they “belong” to the church, they should not do any work outside of ministry that is under the leadership (often expressed “authority”) of the leadership of the church. Further, any ministry they do should benefit the goals of “their church.” On average this takes about two weeks.

3.) I will begin to disciples someone whose spiritual life has been nurtured in traditional churches. They will view me as a leader instead of as merely a more experienced person. They will assume that I have power over them. They will be leery of this perceived power, or conversely they will expect to put themselves completely under my control. Either way they are not really fit to be discipled. On the one hand they struggle to get past the fear that I will dominate them. On the other hand they will become passive and fail to follow Christ; assuming that Christ’s directives somehow come through me. It rarely seems to matter how much I tell them I don’t have power over them or how much I keep trying to direct them to Christ. The fear will paralyze the relationship (or end it). The passivity is almost impossible to eradicate. Sadly both states, fear and passivity, keep people from actually following Christ himself.

So, what’s the solution? The long term solution, in my opinion, is to keep winning people to Christ and pray that they don’t have any Christian friends until they become followers of Christ himself. Should I completely avoid ministry with traditional Christians? No, hopefully I can say something that will move them closer to Christ. And, occasionally I find someone who is tired of the power game that is so predominant in the Church today. Such a person is ready to try to find out how to follow Jesus himself. These people are worth their weight in gold. In such a case, a more experienced organic disciple can train them in the skills of following Jesus himself. They can point them to others who have specific experience that might be of use to them. And the more experienced organic Christian can begin to watch as Jesus comes to life in their soul. This, in turn means that the relationship becomes mutual, each learning to follow Jesus from the other.

  • Do you think equating the traditional form of Church leadership to slavery is overstating the case? Why and how?
  • Can you see how traditional leadership tends to isolate people from Christ rather than direct them to Him?
  • What would you do in the three stated scenarios?
  • Have you ever struggled getting a traditional Christian to actually follow Jesus instead of other people? Have you found ways of effectively connecting them to Christ without controlling them?
[1] I never recruit anyone, precisely because they don’t belong to me, they belong to Christ. I only try to disciple people in organic church planting who ask me to do so.

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